By bycilces from Norwegian Traena to Karelian Pudozh

6 september 2016

Three years ago Rogier Rouwet, a student at Umeå University, decided to take a bike trip along the Blue Highway route, which begins in a small Norwegian village of Traena on the Atlantic coast, passes through Sweden, Finland, Russian Karelia and ends in Pudozh. June 14th this year, after a long preparation, search for companions, elaboration of the route, the journey started from Traena commune. For almost three months, the architecture students have been cycling through Northern Europe, from west to east.

August 29 a group of cyclists crossed the Finnish-Russian border at Värtsilä, visited Ruskeala, White bridges, Olonets, Pryazha, and reached Petrozavodsk on September 5.

According to Rogier, the purpose of the travel is to get acquainted with the life of the people along the Blue Highway and to explore the possibility of free accommodation for cycling travelers. A large number of abandoned huts, hay sheds was encountered along the route in Norway, Sweden, Finland, which, however, are supported by the owners in a decent condition. Following the visit Rogier plans to create a map of huts, which can be used by the travelers as a temporary accommodation or shelter from the weather. The guys share stories and photos from their journey in a group on facebook https://www.facebook.com/northernnetwork/

So far no suitable barns have been identified in Karelia, yet the students have already thought about how to include in the network the Karelian part of the Blue Highway. Upon returning Rogier is ready to propose ideas for the development of cooperation with Karelian cycling activists.

After Petrozavodsk the cyclists intend to continue to Medvezhiegorsk and Velikaya Guba to catch a boat to the Kizhi island.